Considering planning a micro wedding but not sure where to start? In this article, I will walk you through how to plan a micro wedding and highlight all the key things to consider throughout the process. A table of contents is provided below so you can jump ahead to sections that interest you.
How to Plan a Micro Wedding Table of Contents:
- What is a Micro Wedding?
- Key Characteristics of a Micro Wedding
- How to Know if a Micro Wedding Is Right for You?
- How to Plan a Micro Wedding
- Micro Wedding Planning Timeline
What is a Micro Wedding?
A micro wedding is a smaller, more intimate version of a traditional wedding. The guest list ranges from around 20-50 people, though some are even smaller, depending on the couple’s preferences. The intention of a micro wedding is quality over quantity, so couples can create a more intentional day and have a more personalized experience.
Key Characteristics of a Micro Wedding:
A Smaller Guest List: Compared to a traditional wedding, micro weddings have a smaller guest list, allowing the couples to spend the day with their closest friends and family.
A Custom Experience: With fewer guests, couples have the opportunity to really customize the event to their personalities, focusing on details that matter most to them, such as more time together one-on-one, a relaxed timeline, and being able to include more activities or excursions.
An Intimate Setting: Micro weddings allow for a less rushed atmosphere, allowing the couple to truly be present with one another and their families.
Flexibility: Due to a smaller guest list, couples have more freedom when choosing their venue and can consider non-traditional locations, such as a favorite restaurant, a National Park, or an Airbnb.
Budget: With a smaller guest list to accommodate, the couple can flex their budget into other aspects such as a dream vendor team, a destination, or excursions to turn the day into a true experience.
How to Know if a Micro Wedding Is Right for You?
Deciding whether a micro wedding is right for you can be determined by your values, preferences, and vision for your wedding day. Here are some things to consider when determining whether a micro wedding is right for you:
- Does the idea of a big crowd feel overwhelming?
- Do you want to distribute your budget to more meaningful details of the day?
- Do you want a wedding day that feels unique and custom to you?
- Would you like a flexible timeline to focus more on your friends and family?
- Do the visions for your day include a more unconventional venue?
- Do you like the idea of a more relaxed day and stress-free environment?
At the end of the day, deciding whether a micro wedding is right for you comes down to your vision and what feels more aligned with your wants and needs. Your celebration should be an extension of yourselves, not formed by tradition and pressures to do things a certain way. If this is all resonating with you, then a micro wedding might be the perfect fit!
How to Plan a Micro Wedding
Planning a micro wedding is all about creating a personalized experience for yourselves and any guests you choose to include. This list will walk you through the steps to achieving your perfect micro wedding:
Determine Your Budget & Vision
Create Your Vision: What do you want the day to look and feel like? Do you want a more luxurious day? Or an outdoorsy adventure? Consider the setting you want for you day, whether it’s on a beach or at an estate.
Set a Budget: Decide which parts of your micro wedding you want to invest most in. Is it the venue? The vendor team? Or maybe it’s a destination and you want to provide lodging for your friends and family. Setting a clear budget for your day and deciding how you want to divide that income up will be a good start.
Picking A Location & Date
Choose a Date: Have you had a date in mind for a few months? Or are you open to picking your date around your venues availability? If you’re planning an outdoor micro wedding or a destination wedding, consider the off-season and peak season for that area, along with factors like weather and the rainy season. Popular months for weddings typically include August through October, while months like January through March are less common.
Picking Your Venue: With a smaller guest list, you can expand your search beyond the bigger traditional venues. Perhaps an Airbnb catches your eye, a vineyard, a yacht, or a private villa on the beach. Think back to your vision: where do you envision yourself getting married and what type of activities do you want to include? Channel those thoughts into your venue search. Don’t forget to make sure the venue can accommodate your guest list.
Create The Guest List
Less is More: When it comes to your wedding, there’s already some stress in deciding who can attend and who can’t. With micro weddings, that list becomes even smaller, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the decisions on who to cut. When determining who to invite, ask yourself these questions: Do we spend time together regularly? Will I see them again this year? When was the last time we spoke? Can I imagine my day without them?
Adult Only: Another thing to consider is whether you want this to be a child-free occasion or if you love the idea of having your nieces and nephews included. Can your family attend if they’re unable to bring their kids? Think about what type of family event you’d prefer to have.
Your Ceremony
What Type of Ceremony: You can have any ceremony you want! Whether it’s a traditional ceremony, religious, non-religious, or something more custom to you. Also consider what type of unity moments you want to include, like personal vows, knot tying, candles, sand, and more.
Who Marries You Matters: Do you want a family friend to marry you? Or hire an officiant for the event? Consider the type of relationship you want to have with the person who marries you.
Planning Your Reception:
An Intentional Reception: With a micro wedding, you can make your reception smaller and more custom to you, whether it’s a private dinner at a restaurant or a home-cooked meal at your Airbnb.
Unique Details: Opt for something more out of the box! Have cupcakes instead of a cake, or don’t have dessert at all. If it doesn’t align with what you want, don’t do it.
Picking Your Vendor Team:
Deciding the right vendors for your day is a big task. With a micro wedding, you might not be getting ready with a large crowd of bridesmaids and groomsmen, so maybe you opt to go to a luxury spa the morning of for some pampering.
For music, if you opt for a private Airbnb celebration, you might not need a DJ and decide to use your own music set up.
The flexibility for vendors comes down to a few things: where you decided to get married, what’s most important to you, and what you want to splurge a little extra on.
Invitations:
Regardless of whether you have a smaller wedding, it’s important to communicate the expectations for the day. This includes details like where guests need to go, how long they should plan to stay, attire requests, and, if it’s a destination wedding, travel tips and recommendations.
Your Timeline:
Keep your timeline simple and focus on what matters most to you. If you want to wake up and spend the morning together, go for it. If you’d like to do a first look and have plenty of one-on-one time, that’s wonderful too! With micro weddings, you have the flexibility to design the day exactly how you want it.
Activities & Excursions:
With a micro wedding, your day can include activities beyond the traditional sequence of events, such as an evening catamaran cruise or a group trip into the local city for dinner.
Honeymoon:
If you choose to have a smaller budget for your micro wedding, you could allocate more funds to your honeymoon. Alternatively, if you plan a destination micro wedding, you could turn your wedding location into your honeymoon as well!
Micro Wedding Planning Timeline
Although a micro wedding is a smaller affair it should still be planned similarly to a bigger traditional wedding. These next steps will guide you on when you should begin certain tasks.
8-12 Months Out
- Set your date
- Book your venue
- Draft your guest list
- Decide on a budget
- Book Photographers, Videographers, Officiant, Caterers, and Planners
6-8 Months Out
- Begin looking for attire
- Decide on decor and details
- Research permits (if applicable)
- Book Florists, Music, Beauty, and any other preferred vendors
- Begin planning honeymoon ideas
3-6 Months Out
- Alterations for attire
- Send out invitations (do this sooner if for a destination)
- Begin working on transportation & accommodations
- Finalize any last details (signage, centerpieces, etc)
- Book honeymoon plans
1-3 Months Out
- Obtain permits
- Confirm timelines and details with vendors
- Communicate details to guests
- Pick your accessories
- Ensure you have all necessary travel documents
The Month Of
- Finalize and confirm all details with vendors (final headcount and timelines)
- Obtain marriage license
- Pay any remaining vendor balances
- Pack a day of emergency kit
- Write your vows
- Organize travel documents
The Week Of
- Organize all of the details you’re bringing
- Pack for your honeymoon
- Confirm all travel details
- Rehearsal (if applicable)
The Day Of
- You Marry Your Best Friend!!
No two micro weddings are the same. Your day may require a different timeline for planning and could involve more or fewer tasks to complete. When it comes to planning a micro wedding, my biggest recommendation is to create a personalized timeline as you book each element to help stay on track and ensure a stress-free planning process!
I’m Danielle! Your Micro Wedding & Elopement Photographer
I created this blog specifically for couples like you who crave a more intimate and intentional day! I would love to help you through this process of how to plan a micro wedding and be there to capture these memories and create a gorgeous gallery so you can remember how the day felt for years to come.
Learn more about me here.
If you think we’d be a perfect fit, let’s chat more about your day! Inquire here.
To check out additional resources I have, click here to go to my blog page.
How to Plan a Micro Wedding Gallery Vendors:
Check out these incredible vendors who helped bring the Maine elopement shown in my photos to life!
- Dress: Davids Bridal
- Suit: Aldos House of Formals
- Florals: Bad Rabbit Flowers
